UCHealth enrolling patients in clinical trial

UCHealth is enrolling patients in a clinical trial that will help determine whether a shorter course of radiation therapy is effective for certain breast cancer patients, according to a news release. The research could lead to a nationwide change in standard practice and could benefit generations of patients to come.

The typical course of radiation therapy for breast cancer patients is 25-33 daily treatments, lasting a few minutes each weekday over a period of five or six weeks, according to the release. While patients can generally drive themselves to and from treatment and continue working full time, it can be time-consuming and inconvenient.

Dr. Josh Petit, a radiation oncologist at UCHealth Cancer Center in Fort Collins, said clinical trial participants with node-positive breast cancer will receive 15-19 treatments over three to four weeks. The fewer, larger radiation treatment is already the new standard of care for node-negative lumpectomy patients, but it is not available for node-positive patients outside of a clinical trial, according to the release.

Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs and University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora are also enrolling patients in the clinical trial, according to the release. This is the first investigator-initiated clinical trial, funded by University of Colorado Cancer Center, to be made available to patients across the UCHealth system. CU Cancer Center is the only comprehensive cancer center in the state as designated by the National Cancer Institute.